New Member
by otakugirl018
Summary: Dolore is a girl from the streets who's ready for just about any situation. When Papa, the leader of a group called the Arcana Famiglia asks her to join them she agrees but on her own terms: she's only attached to them for one year, and has full access to all research and resources they have. Will she be able to find what she's searching for? Or is something else in store?
1. Meet with Papa

_Hey guys! I might add more to this tonight as I'm on a creative binge here. The title will most likely change, though. Tell me what you think so far!_

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Dolore sat, staring into Papa's deep brown eyes. "You know I won't be here long," she told him.

"I know," he replied.

"Only a year or so," her stony resolve held against Papa's warm gaze.

"So you've told me," he rested his head on one hand and looked at the young girl for a moment. He had found her earlier that week in an underground fight club. It was there he saw the curvasious thirteen-year-old brunette girl take town scores of grown men with only a single glance. Drenched in sweat she hopped out of the makeshift boxing ring around her and downed a long savory sip from an ice-cold beer, she seemed to hold her alcohol well and was in a mere matter of seconds once again standing in the ring calling for more competitors. Papa continued to observe this strong girl for the remaining three hours she fought for, occasionally allowing her opponents to get in close; only to produce a weapon, seemingly out of nowhere, to fend him off again. She never lunged at her opponent once, only remained on the offensive. Once, on another break between fights, Papa noticed a reddish mark on the inside of her right wrist, it resembled a worried eye: swirling circles topped with wave-like lines overtop resembling a furrowed brow. Now watching more closely as she reentered the ring, Papa noticed as she immediately conquered another feeble challenger that a small ring of light had escaped from her right wrist.

The bar closed and eventually the girl – whose name Papa had learned was Dolore – made her way into the dark alleyway of Regalo, holding a large coin purse in her marked right hand. Papa followed her into the alley and called after her, asking her if she would hear him out on a proposition he had for her, she accepted temporarily, on her own terms.

"You're really only going to 'use us for our resources'?" Papa asked Dolore. It had been only yesterday he discovered the young arcana card possessor and already she was fascinating to him, not only in her emotional strength feeding whatever her card was but also in her obvious underlying intelligence hidden beneath a plot of swears and slang from years on the streets.

"Yes, sir. I just wanna use you for all you've got, take what I can get and get out of here by the winter," Dolore placed her thick black boots on the top of Papa's desk, the thin straps of her old brown camisole falling slightly off of her lightly tanned shoulders, her skin looked smooth and warm, as if kissed by the sun from hours upon hours of being in the outdoors. Her long curling brown hair fell just below her collarbone line and her accidental bangs were pinned and twisted back by cheap thin hairpins she had hastily purchased the night before. Her long legs connected to her widening hips and thin waist, everything about her showed she was aware of her budding sexuality and would use it to her advantage.

"Please, call me Papa. You'll be a member of this family officially in a few days and should get in the habit of calling me Papa by then," Dolore nodded in silent agreement.

"Once I do join this 'family,' what will I be asked to do?" A slight sneer came across her full pink, and thoroughly chapped lips. Obvious disdain played in her eyes at what she suspected she would be forced to do as a young girl in a large household.

"We'll appoint you a position and you'll have regular jobs to do as to help keep peace and safety on this island," seeing Dolore's scornful look remain unchanged he quickly added, "and, of course, you'll have complete access to our library and so on." Her look brightened immediately at this mention of knowledge to be gained but about what Papa wasn't sure. "To each their own." He thought as he handed Dolore a piece of paper containing the address she would eventually be staying in by the end of the week. As she place her hand on the doorknob Dolore turned to face Papa.

"Am I still completely untied from this 'family' as of today?" She asked.

"Of course," replied Papa. Contented she left his office and headed for town, a devilish grin on her face.

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_So how was that? I know it's short but I might update it tonight. Leave me comments, kay? :P_


	2. Friends

_Sorry it took me forever to post a new chapter! Enjoy!_

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The air was thick with sea salt in this small town and Nova loved it. It felt refreshing and cool on what little skin showed underneath his thick black suit, on a warm summer day like this he would have given anything to be able to take it off. He longed to simply throw off his duties and go to the beach and swim to his hearts content, splashing in the water with his friends Felicita and Liberta... Nova's thoughts were interrupted by a groaning from a nearby alley followed by the sound of someone being slammed against a wall. Nova trotted quickly to an alley where he saw two men with very few visible cuts or bruises lying on the cobblestones of the alley wracked with pain. Over top of them stood a dark figure a few inches shorter than Nova.

"Get away!" Nova shouted at the two men on the ground and in one swift move her was holding tightly to the small attacker. Both men hurried away from Nova, not daring to glance back at the monster he now held for them. The two men, two of the few criminals left in Regalo, would have nightmares for weeks of the small dark figure attacking them from inside their bodies and injuring them without so much as a touch.

The figure struggled for a moment under larger Nova's trap-like grasp, then it relaxed. As an immediate response, thinking the figure had given up, Nova relaxed slightly as well. Seizing their chance the figure escaped Nova's hold and in less than a second Nova was pinned against a wall staring straight into two large, round, brown eyes. He glanced down to her hand, noticing a stigmata resembling and eye of some sort but he had no time to remark before the face in front of him leaned in closer and whispered menacingly in his ear, "Don't _ever_ do that again." The figure suddenly let go and Nova struggled to keep his balance as the figure tipped its small leather biker hat and strolled off down the alley. Nova was too stunned to think to follow her and could only manage to mumble to himself, "A thief… with an arcana card?" Nova stood in that dark, dingy alley for a moment, thinking about the momentous problems that could come with this. _Was she actually a part of the Arcana Famiglia he didn't know about? Was something else going on here? Had he actually seen that stigmata? _And most importantly, _what was her card?_ Eventually one of the men from Cups division found Nova and he was back to work, but distracted nonetheless by this girl he'd seen.

Hours later Nova met up with Felicita and Liberta, the three friends were on their way to meet Debito and Pace for dinner. As usual Liberta was awkwardly glancing at Felicita as they walked, his enormous crush on her showing to everyone around but Felicita. _Jeez, she can be so dense sometimes._ Nova sighed at his friend's apparent discomfort, wishing he could help him.

Nova's attention was pulled away from his awkward companion at three people carrying out a raucous conversation just outside of Debito's casino. Upon closer inspection Nova noticed that the three were Debito, Pace, and the girl from before! Nova's eyebrow twitched her paused for a moment as they carried out their conversation about a big-time player Debito had in his casino today who lost big time to the girl; who was a talented poker player.

"His face was all puffed up and red and-" the girl was interrupted by a fit of laughter from herself and the two men around her. Nova cleared his throat and Debito looked his way, he chuckled at Nova's displeased look.

"Bambina, I must leave you," Debito kneeled down and kissed the girl's outstretched hand before walking to Nova, Felicita, and Liberta.

Pace turned to the girl "Bye Dolore, we should eat lasagna again sometime!" He gave her a huge bear hug and swung her around, the two laughing raucously.

"Bye you two! I'll be calling on my white knights soon!" She called after them as they walked off toward the west, the sun glinting off the harbor in the distance. Dolore sighed and shoved her hands deep into her pockets, feeling the warm feeling of friendship slowly fade away with Debito and Pace's silhouettes on the horizon. Turning her back to the setting sun she began her long walk to The Watering Hole; a cheap inn popular with drunks and the down and out, and, for the time being, Dolore.

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_How was that? Follow and review please!_


	3. Secret

_Sorry it's been so long! I've prepared a little more for the future so I can update leisurely now. Enjoy!_

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Corners and back alley's twisted a crooked path to "The Watering Hole," from which shouts and foul words could be heard at a deafening volume from a block away. Dolore strolled in quietly and, unbeknownst to those around her, slipped upstairs to her room. Her creaky bed wasn't well received by her downstairs neighbors and a quick screaming match followed but Dolore was finally able to lie down and rest. She mentally checked off her to do list:

Work out terms with "Papa"

Make friends with "family members"

She cringed at the latter; she knew she was deceiving good people but it didn't matter – do it once, you can do it again – but that boy in the alley, he was there at the casino later as well, he could pose a slight problem.

"Damn shortie," she muttered to herself but instantly regretted it; standing at a mere 5' 2" who was Dolore to judge.

"Who is he? Another member?" Dolore's arcana card spoke up, its eerie voice echoing inside the confines of her skull.

"I'm not sure, I think so. He _was_ carrying a sword."

"Well make sure he doesn't get in your way," as the deep tone grew darker and angrier Dolore clawed at her stigmata, it was burning her. She let out a muffled cry for help. "honestly I don't know why you have to join them to fix our little problem in the first place, do you think they'll treat you any better than the last?" her card demanded. Dolore could only sputter in pain as a reply. Glancing down at her wrist she saw what she had been dreading: pumping from her stigmata were dark, pounding veins. They stretched up to her shoulder now. It was getting worse, _much_ worse.

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Nova sat in his bed, restless and unable to sleep. After tossing and turning for a few minutes more he flung the covers off of himself. Silently, he made his way to his office, if he wasn't going to sleep then he may as well work.

"Nova," a deep, strong voice called.

"Hello?" Nova asked the darkness. A smiling Papa stepped out of the shadows.

"Nova, I need to speak to you about something," Papa guided Nova gently into Nova's office, calm as usual Nova sat at his desk. "There's someone new coming in soon. I want her to work with you, as a second in command. She's a very talented fighter but she's to quick to fight and aggressive. I'm putting her under your care so she'll do this right," Dumbfounded, Nova simply nodded his head in agreement.

"When will she be joining us?"

"At my birthday party of course!" Papa grinned ear to ear mischievously. Once again Nova nodded. In a few days there would be a new second in command to him, a long sigh flowed from his lips as he leaned back in his chair.

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_Sorry this one is so short, it's because there is another chapter coming! I felt like this needed to be a chapter of its own (you know sit in its juices). What do you think Dolore's reason for coming to Regalo is? I want to know how you're perceiving this! So tell me all. And as always, leave me constructive criticism. :) Thanks._


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